The present invention relates in general to cleaning mechanisms for reproduction apparatus, and more particularly to a housing arrangement for a fiber brush of a cleaning mechanism for a reproduction apparatus which enables the cleaning mechanism to remove residual marking particles and other debris from a dielectric member of a reproduction apparatus and polish the dielectric member and remove fine scratches therefrom.
In typical commercial electrostatographic reproduction apparatus (such as copier/duplicators, printers, or the like), a latent image charge pattern is formed on a uniformly charged charge-retentive or photo-conductive member having dielectric characteristics (hereinafter referred to as the dielectric member). Pigmented marking particles are attracted to the latent image charge pattern to develop such image on the dielectric member. A receiver sheet is then brought into contact with the dielectric member, and an electric field applied to transfer the marking particle developed image to the receiver sheet from the dielectric member. After transfer, the receiver sheet bearing the transferred image is transported away from the dielectric member, and the image is fixed (fused) to the receiver sheet by heat and pressure to form a permanent reproduction thereon. At the same time, the dielectric member is cleaned of any residual (non-transferred) marking particles, and dust or other unwanted particles, so that that portion of the dielectric member can be reused in the formation of additional reproductions.
Cleaning mechanisms for reproduction apparatus typically employ a fur brush rotating inside a housing communicating with a vacuum source. The housing is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the brush. As such the fibers of the brush, and any particles trapped therein, rub against the inside wall of the housing before the vacuum source removes the particles from the fibers. The friction action with the inside housing wall heats up the particles to a temperature where the marking particles at least partially melt and adhere to the housing wall. This debris becomes very brittle and abrasive as it continues to build up on the housing wall. The build up of the particles eventually causes fibers of the cleaning brush to become damaged (such as tearing the fibers out of the brush, for example) to the extent that they are no longer effective in efficiently cleaning the dielectric member. Therefore, debris remains on the dielectric member which eventually will show up as unacceptable artifacts in the reproductions. The hard crusty build up will also begin to chip off the housing wall and become lodged in the brush. These chips will then result in scratches in the surface of the dielectric member, which can become so deep as to also show up as unacceptable artifacts in the reproductions.
In other cleaning mechanisms for reproduction apparatus, the cleaning housing is larger in diameter than the diameter of the cleaning brush. However, such mechanisms utilize mechanical devices on the inside of the housings to contact the brush fibers to aid in dislodging the particle trapped by the fibers. These mechanical devices include flicker bars or protrusions extending radially inwardly from the housing wall. The action of these mechanical devices results in the same problems of fiber damage with the resultant unacceptable artifact generation in the reproductions.